Archive for the '2013 Playoffs' Tag Under 'Ducks' Category

ANAHEIM -- Some infractions were called and others weren't in Game 2 between the Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings. That's just how it is in nearly every NHL game.

Especially so in the Stanley Cup playoffs. There was a good share of hooking and holding and interfering with a few of them worthy enough for referees Stephen Walkom and Greg Kimmerly to blow their whistle.

Those whistles often get put away when a game is on the line in the third period as referees often let the players battle it out to decide matters. Ducks defenseman Sheldon Souray and Wings forward Justin Abdelkader were doing just that in the final minute of regulation.

But the whistle blew and Souray wound up going to the penalty box for slashing. The Ducks killed off the final 37.2 seconds of Detroit's man advantage in regulation but still had 1:23 to deal with in overtime.

All but two seconds were killed off but Gustav Nyquist short-circuited the Ducks' amazing comeback from three goals down, lifting the Wings to a 5-4 win to tie up the Western Conference first-round series.

ANAHEIM -- There is one spot on the ice that is as familiar and comfortable to Teemu Selanne as the living room couch in his Coto de Caza home.

The Ducks' all-time leading scorer set up shop in the left circle during an early third-period power play during Game 1 against Detroit and quickly turned a snap shot loose that flew by Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard for the tiebreaking goal in a 3-1 win.

Selanne, 42, might not score off the rush as much in his later years but he still knows where the go on the ice when his team has the man advantage. And as the third-leading producer on the power play in NHL history, the winger counts the left circle as his spot of choice.

Asked how many of his 675 career goals -- 718 if you count the postseason -- has he scored from that place, Selanne thought about it and said, "A couple of hundred, probably. I don't know."

"But that has been my favorite spot," he continued. "Lately I have been more in the middle in the [power play]. It doesn't really matter. We know that the power play and the penalty killing is going to be a huge part of the success in any level.

ANAHEIM -- Here is the expected lineup that the Ducks will dress for Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal-round series against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at Honda Center. Coach Bruce Boudreau is going with the same lineup as in Game 1 even though defenseman Luca Sbisa is now available after missing the last six games of the regular season due to a lower-body injury.

ANAHEIM -- Looking back at an otherwise meaningless contest, Jonas Hiller's start in the next-to-last game of the regular season in Vancouver had all the meaning in the world for the veteran Ducks goalie.

Addressing a question about Hiller's sharp 21-save effort in the Ducks' 3-1 Game 1 win over Detroit, Coach Bruce Boudreau acknowledged that previous outing by the netminder factored into his thought process over which goalie would start their Stanley Cup playoff series.

In that game, Hiller delivered one of his best efforts of the season in a 3-1 win over the Canucks as he stopped 28 shots against a largely complete Vancouver lineup while the Ducks rested several of their regulars.

"You could tell he didn't have any lapses as far as thought process," Boudreau said, discussing Hiller's Game 1. "He was always into it. Every save, he was following the puck. There wasn't that, maybe sometimes as you've seen over the year, that soft goal when he could play great for 58 minutes.

"I didn't see that. I didn't see it in Vancouver when he played there. That was a real telling point for me. I thought he was gearing up the playoffs."

ANAHEIM -- After his team's morning skate on Thursday at Honda Center, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau met with the media and covered an array of topics such as the things he looks for during the game-day workout, rookie Emerson Etem's impact, Jonas Hiller's play in goal, Francois Beauchemin's work on defense and Luca Sbisa's availability for Game 2 against the Detroit Red Wings.

ANAHEIM – Nick Bonino’s work Tuesday night won’t make the highlight reel unless the video is of the instructional kind.

Bonino does the things that are less glamorous and the Ducks love it. The clearest example of that came within a matter of seconds of the first period in a 3-1 victory over Detroit to open their best-of-7 Stanley Cup playoff series at Honda Center.

After the Wings’ Jordin Tootoo went to the penalty box for crosschecking, Bonino stood across Detroit star Pavel Datsyuk in the faceoff circle at the Wings’ end. In addition to being a wizard with the puck, Datsyuk had a 55 percent success rate on the dot during the regular season.

Bonino took the draw, won it cleanly and got the puck back to Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler before maneuvering into a spot in front of Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard as the Ducks’ Corey Perry provided a screen.

A shot from Fowler and a deflection from Bonino later, it was 1-0 for the Ducks and they would never trail.

ANAHEIM -- Whether or not it was his intention, Jason Collins made history Monday by being the first active male athlete of a major professional team sport in the United States to announce that he is gay.

Collins made his revelation in a first-person Sports Illustrated article with Franz Lidz, starting with the words: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay." The 12-year center spent last season with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.

His decision to come out was widely celebrated. It was also frowned upon in some corners but it opened dialogue on how would a player treat his teammate in the locker room if it was known that he was homosexual.

If Collins were a hockey player on his team, Ducks rookie Emerson Etem would heartily welcome him. Etem was one of those who applauded the former Harvard-Westlake High and Stanford standout.

"I think it's just great for sports in general, him being the first in a major sport to come out," said Etem, who grew up in Long Beach. "If there was a gay player, say on the Ducks or anything, I would be all for it. I support him and his decision.

ANAHEIM -- Here is the expected lineup that the Ducks will send out against the Detroit Red Wings for Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal-round series Tuesday night at Honda Center. Jonas Hiller, who went 7-6 with a 2.23 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage in the 2009 playoffs, will get the start in goal. Luca Sbisa (lower body) went through a full practice and is improving but Toni Lydman will be in the lineup on the blue line.

ANAHEIM – Winning 30 games in a shortened 48-game season got the Ducks a division title and the second seed in the Western Conference as they’ll open up play in the Stanley Cup playoffs on Tuesday night.

Attached to that is an apparent lack of respect.

Predictions have been flowing freely the last couple of days and while the Ducks might be the higher seed in their quarterfinal-round series, it is the Detroit Red Wings whom many believe will pull off upset special of the first round.

All the Ducks had to do Monday before Game 1 was turn on the television to one of their favorite channels and get that vibe.

“I think I saw what was on ‘NHL Live’ in here today because it was on,” winger Bobby Ryan said. “We kind of watched that as we go through our morning routine. It was on in the weight room.

ANAHEIM -- The Ducks appear to be making their first big change before their Western Conference first-round series has even begun.

Sheldon Souray and Francois Beauchemin, who have played together for the majority of the season as the team's top shutdown pair, could be separated for Game 1 against Detroit.

Beauchemin had Cam Fowler as his defense partner during practice Sunday and Monday while Souray was paired with Ben Lovejoy. Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau wouldn't confirm if he'll stay with the same plan against the Red Wings but didn't deny it either.

Souray did say Monday that Lovejoy would be his partner.

"Well, you never what's going to happen tomorrow," Boudreau said. "I've changed on the fly. I'm not going to speculate or say why I'm doing things when it comes to this stage. Whatever we do, there's a reason. We're not just throwing names into a hat and pulling them out.